Tuesday, August 24, 2004

Demilitarizing the Police: Patriots stand up to fascism

What went wrong in America's law enforcement and management systems?Time to listen

A great nation like the United States need not resort to intimidation and abuse to silence those who dare have other views. We bring credit on ourselves when we simply listen to the message and understand what they are saying. Indeed, just because we understand, it doesn't mean that we agree.

Morales is willing to stand up to the arrogance and abuse in the law enforcement community.

We'd save alot of energy if we simply took the time to understand. All these years the public has been fed a load of non-sense about "how bad the criminals are" and that they're "just complaining." In practice, the abuses in Abu Ghrai have simply shown us that the abuses were going on, and that the prisoners did have valid concerns that were being ignored.

The government has lost much credibilty with Abu Ghraib. Not simply in showing the true side of the US prisons system, but in showing how long the abuses are justified on the basis of fantasy.

There is no reason these prisonsers in the US prisons should ever be subjected to these conditions.

Yet, it is the public justice system that has failed the public and our community. All these yeears we have been told the problem was under control; that the problems were being addressed; and that the public should have confidence the media was on top of things.

On the contrary, it was the lack of infomration, and the handwaving to explain away the misconduct that permits the abuses in prisons to continues.

Law enforcement and the judicial branch of government have not received enough attention. They deserve close scrutinty, not just because of the abuses they have committed; but also because their culture remains unreformed despite POST oversight.

Indeed, the Bush Administration has not helped in refusing to let DoJ take action against local law enforcement.